1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrangement for a window mounting in a flexible top or hood, particularly a flexible folding top or roof of a vehicle, and a method for making a releasable window connection in such a top or roof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Like the tops or roof of other motor vehicles, convertible roofs must be provided with a rear window to give the driver a view to the rear. When such a vehicle is open, the convertible roof is generally folded down rearwardly, and consequently the rear windows must also be made from a foldable, flexible material. Transparent plastic polymers can be used for this purpose. Usually, the outer covers of such folding roofs are adhered, sewn or riveted to the rear window at the peripheral region thereof.
A decisive disadvantage of such roofs is that the rear window must be worked into the outer covering of the roof before it is fitted. When the roof itself is then fitted, the rear window can be deformed or scratched. In addition, such connections are not adequately secured against air inclusions and moisture. The flexible window material has only a restricted stability under load and can scratch to such an extent that the view through the window material is impaired. At low ambient temperatures, the window material may become stiff and tend to crack as well as becoming brittle due to continuous exposure to UV radiation so that during folding of the roof, the window can crack or break prematurely.
The resulting damage often leads to premature replacement of the rear panes of convertible tops. This involves considerable expenditure. In general, the entire roof must be dismantled, the old pane cut out, a new one sewn, adhered or welded in prior to remounting the roof on the vehicle.
In addition, complimentary profile rods are used as a connection means between the outer cover and the rear window pane. The profile rods can be locked together by their complemental mutual form and mutual engagement in the taut state of the roof. In such state, the interlocking rods cannot be released from the outside of the roof without its destruction. One of the profile rods is fixedly connected to the peripheral edge of the window opening and the other profile rod is fixedly connected to the peripheral edge of the window insert.
These profile rods are very difficult to make and difficult to join together because the profile rods comprising the connecting means between the outer cover and the window pane and extending all around the pane must be engaged. Moreover, the connecting means have a thickness in the connecting region which impairs the appearance of the window frame due to the thickness of the profile strips or rods. In addition, such profile rods do not meet the demands for resistance to theft and external weather influences such as moisture and air stream.
Therefore, the present invention seeks to overcome the problem of providing an arrangement for window mounting in a flexible hood, and in particular the flexible folding roof of a vehicle, in which the rear window pane can be fitted affter completion of the folding hood and possibly only after mounting of the folding hood to the rear window pane. The desired arrangement seeks to meet the usual demands for resistance to theft and not removable from the outside with simple means. In this context, simple means denotes those means which do not lead to damage or destruction of the roof. In addition, the invention must fulfill the conventional requirements, that is the bond between the window and the roof must also be particularly tight to prevent any rain water from entering the vehicle. The joint between the window insert and the roof must also, as before, ensure that the roof can, if necessary, be bent or folded in the window region. The invention also seeks to provide a method for establishing a releasable window connection in a flexible roof.